Security Model

Each wallet makes different trade-offs between convenience and trust. Core desktop verifies everything yourself; the web wallet trusts the hosting server’s integrity; the extension trusts the browser sandbox; mobile wallets trust the app store and OS keystore. Understand which trust assumptions apply to the wallet you use before holding meaningful value.

This page is not a guarantee that a wallet is safe for every use. It is a threat-model map so you can choose the right wallet and operating practice.

Wallet threat model

Wallet	Main security strength	Main trust assumptions	Main failure modes
Desktop Core	Local full-node validation and local wallet file	Device integrity, release authenticity, backup discipline	Malware, lost passphrase, missing wallet backup, unsafe RPC exposure
Browser Extension	Convenient local browser wallet	Browser profile integrity, extension authenticity, user approval flow	Malicious extensions, phishing approvals, profile loss, weak password
Android	Mobile convenience with local device storage	App authenticity, OS/device integrity, remote chain data	Phone compromise, lost device, missing recovery phrase, malicious app source
Web Wallet	No install and fast access	Hosted app delivery, browser integrity, user recovery discipline	Phishing, malicious served code, weak password, missing export/recovery material
iOS	Planned	Planned	Not available yet

What post-quantum keys do and do not solve

Tidecoin replaces ECDSA with post-quantum signature schemes, but wallet users can still lose funds through normal operational failures. Post-quantum signatures do not protect against malware, phishing, fake downloads, leaked recovery phrases, exposed private keys, or sending to the wrong address.

Recommended balance tiers

Use	Wallet posture
Tiny test amount	Any official wallet, after backup.
Daily spending	Extension, Android, web, or Core depending on device risk.
Larger personal holdings	Core on a dedicated, updated device with offline backups.
Service or operator funds	Core, controlled deployment, restricted RPC, monitoring, and documented recovery procedure.

Hardening checklist

Verify wallet downloads when release verification data is available.
Keep wallet software and the operating system updated.
Use wallet encryption where available.
Keep recovery material offline.
Use separate wallets for daily spending and storage.
Never expose wallet RPC to the public internet.
Test recovery before relying on a backup.
Use a small first transfer with any new wallet, venue, or counterparty.

Recovery assumptions

Core wallet backups preserve wallet-local PQHD secret material. Descriptor exports are useful metadata, but they are not full backups by themselves. Lighter wallets may use mnemonic phrases or key exports; follow the exact backup format that wallet provides.